10 Actors Who Lost a DANGEROUS Amount of Weight for a Role

10 Actors Who Lost a Dangerous Amount of Weight for a Role

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at actors who took a role so seriously that they lost a whole bunch of weight - often, what appeared to be a dangerous amount.

Cillian Murphy

“Oppenheimer” (2023)

You might’ve thought that of all his collaborations with Christopher Nolan, it was his role as Scarecrow that would’ve required Cillian Murphy to lose weight. While a scarecrow might insinuate a slimmer being, the real J. Robert Oppenheimer was actually a rather emaciated person. So, as the titular “Oppenheimer” in Nolan’s 2023 film, Murphy took on the task of matching the physical look of the real guy. Doing so wasn’t easy and - even according to Murphy himself - it wasn’t particularly healthy either. While he hasn’t disclosed the amount he lost he did say that he “had to lose quite a bit of weight” - and he doesn’t advise others to do what he did.

Chris Hemsworth

“In the Heart of the Sea” (2015)

Based on the true story that inspired the novel “Moby-Dick,” “In the Heart of the Sea” tells of a whaling ship attacked by a white whale and the struggles to survive as the crew battle the whale, the sea, and each other. Left with few supplies, those who survive the initial attack grow more and more emaciated as the lack of sustenance takes its toll. To portray that slow starvation, the film’s star, Chris Hemsworth, lost 33 pounds in one month - consuming just 500 calories per day. While Hemsworth feels the emotional and physical toll was necessary to do the role justice, he - as he told Jimmy Kimmel, “never want[s] to do it again.”

Matt Damon

“Courage Under Fire” (1996)

Matt Damon became a star in 1997 with the release of “Good Will Hunting.” Given that we hadn’t seen much of Damon on the big screen yet - the slimmed-down version of himself in 1996’s “Courage Under Fire” probably didn’t register with most moviegoers. However, to play his part as Specialist Andrew Ilario in the war drama, Damon dropped more than a few pounds. Depending on who you ask, the number is anywhere from 40 to 60 - but regardless of where the truth is in that range, it’s a whole lot. According to Newsweek, he dropped the weight with a combination of his own made-up diet and running 13 miles every day. That’s basically a marathon every two days.

50 Cent

“All Things Fall Apart” (2011)

“All Things Fall Apart” was a 2011 direct-to-video movie starring Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson - about a talented college football player whose NFL dreams are dashed when he is diagnosed with cancer. As the film’s lead, Jackson had to portray the character as the disease took its toll - which meant losing quite a bit of weight. To accomplish this goal, he went on a liquid diet and worked out up to three hours every day. The result saw 50 Cent go from 214 pounds to 160 pounds in just nine weeks.

Joaquin Phoenix

“Joker” (2019)

Reshoots are a pretty common thing in the movie business, but not on the “Joker” set. It’s all because of Joaquin Phoenix. It’s not that Phoenix pulled some diva moves and refused to do them. Rather, as co-star Zazie Beetz explained, Phoenix lost so much weight they wouldn’t have been able to go back later for reshoots. It was director Todd Phillips’ idea that the “Joker” character look “hungry and unhealthy, like a malnourished wolf.” To accomplish said look, Phoenix reportedly didn’t eat much more than an apple a day. A diet that, by his own admission, made him “go mad”.

Adam Driver

“Silence” (2016)

“Silence” is the story of two Jesuit priests who journey from Portugal to Japan in the 17th century, searching for their mentor. A trip like that - especially centuries ago - would no doubt result in some weight loss. Director Martin Scorsese wanted to visually see the physical toll of such a journey on the actors playing those roles. Both Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver complied with the director’s wishes. Garfield lost 40 pounds and Driver dropped upwards of 51 pounds. He started the process prior to filming, but continued to lose weight during the shoot to mimic what the character would’ve gone through as the voyage continued.

Michael Fassbender

“Hunger” (2008)

The historical drama “Hunger” tells the story of the hunger strike that took place amongst Irish Republican prisoners in Northern Ireland in 1981. The man who led that hunger strike was Bobby Sands - portrayed in the film by actor Michael Fassbender. Now, obviously, if the character you’re playing goes on a hunger strike - your physical appearance will need to display the effects of said strike. To get to that point, Fassbender - working with a nutritionist - walked 4.5 miles and took in just 900 calories a day for 10 weeks. Reports put his total weight loss at 40 pounds.

Matthew McConaughey

“Dallas Buyers Club” (2013)

Both Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto won Academy Awards for their performances in 2013’s “Dallas Buyers Club.” One thing that helped both actors win was how much weight they lost. Their beautiful and emotional performances were no doubt improved by the physical changes they took on in losing weight to play AIDS/HIV patients in the 1980s. McConaughey, who weighed in at 183 pounds prior to being cast in the film, dropped down to 136 for the part. Leto basically stopped eating to lose weight quickly and hit a low of 114 pounds.

Tom Hanks

“Cast Away” (2000)

In 1993, Tom Hanks dropped 26 pounds to play an attorney with AIDS suing his former law firm for wrongful termination in the film “Philadelphia.” Seven years later, audiences witnessed Hanks drop pounds again when he was stranded on a deserted island in “Cast Away.” However, before losing the weight, Hanks actually put on 50 pounds to accentuate the subsequent weight loss. After filming much of the movie, the production took a break so Hanks could grow his hair and beard out and lose the weight. Which he did - 55 pounds worth!

Christian Bale

“The Machinist” (2004)

To say that Christian Bale was committed to his performance in 2004’s “The Machinist” would be an understatement. Bale took on the role of an insomniac machinist with the full weight of his talent - and much less weight on his body. We don’t know exactly how much he weighed before getting the role, but we do know that it was 62 pounds more than his weight during filming. The psychological thriller is a good film, but it definitely isn’t an easy watch, due in no small part to the strikingly emaciated look of its star.

Which of these weight loss transformations struck you the most? Let us know in the comments.